Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 7-26-23

 Another season of the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League came to a close on this Championship Night and here's the results of all the games that took place on this night:

6:15 P.M. Games

GAC Black - 51

Anoka-Ramsey - 44

CSB - 54

UW-River Falls - 47

GAC Gold - 57

Hamline - 45

7:15 P.M. Games

GAC Black - 55

CSB - 45

UW-River Falls - 66

GAC Gold - 47

8:15 P.M. Championship Game

Wash-Ups - 54

Lady Hustlers - 37

This final night of the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League certainly didn't disappoint and an exciting contest took place over on Court 1 in the 6:15 P.M. slot that saw the free-wheeling Anoka-Ramsey team take on the battle-tested and experienced GAC Black team.  Being a decided underdog in this contest didn't bother the young Anoka-Ramsey team as they held a 3-2 advantage at the 6:40 mark of the opening period and they would still hold the upper hand with a 10-8 lead with 2:50 left.  But a 5-0 push down the home stretch gave the speedy and athletic Anoka-Ramsey team a 15-8 lead by the end of the first period.  While a seven-point deficit this early on wasn't necessarily that much to worry about, things grew much more concerning for the GAC Black team once the second period got underway as the Anoka-Ramsey team stretched their lead to 21-12 at the 7:00 mark and by the midway point of the second period, the Anoka-Ramsey team established a ten-point cushion at 25-15 and it looked as if the GAC Black team might be in some serious trouble.  But the GAC Black team refused to break out the proverbial panic button and instead unleashed a 6-0 push that had them right back in the thick of things again down 25-21 with 2:10 left and they would stay within striking distance down 28-23 by the halftime break.  Still, the Anoka-Ramsey team would show some more spunk; upping their lead to 33-26 at the 7:25 mark of the third period and they would still have some breathing room up 35-29 with 3:35 left.  But again the GAC Black team refused to panic and quickly got the deficit down to two points at 35-33 with :30 left and were still within a single possession down 36-33 at the end of the third period.  Unlike the night before, the Anoka-Ramsey team was unable to sustain its earlier momentum and this allowed the GAC Black team to exploit the situation; going on a 12-3 run that changed the complexion of this game for good and gave them a 45-39 lead by the midway point of the fourth period.  The GAC Black team would use its trademark defense to choke off any opportunities for the Anoka-Ramsey team as they still held that same 45-39 lead with 2:52 left.  Insurance free throws by junior-to-be Kylie Baranick upped the GAC Black team's lead to 49-42 with 1:15 left as they got an impressive come-from-behind victory........Another wild and wooly affair was taking place over on Court 2 in the 6:15 P.M. time slot that saw the CSB team taking on the UW-River Falls team in a clash of two evenly-matched opponents.  The UW-River Falls team would hold a 3-2 advantage by the midway portion of the opening period as both teams struggled a little bit out of the gate but the UW-River Falls team would recover quicker as they built their lead to 7-2 with 3:25 left although the CSB would finally shake off its cobwebs and get some offense going down the stretch to close the gap to four down 14-10 by the end of the first period.  The UW-River Falls team would get a big boost early on in the second period on a three-point bomb that got their lead out to 17-10 but the CSB team was not going to be going quietly into the night on this occasion as they closed the gap to four down 19-15 near the midway juncture of the second period and by the halftime break, the CSB team was down only a single possession at 25-22.  The CSB team had momentum on its side by this point and they quickly got this game leveled at 25 at the 9:15 mark of the third period and this contest would still be tied at 33 a piece near the midway point.  With 4:15 left, the game would still be knotted at 36 before the UW-River Falls team could take a brief 38-36 lead with 1:35 left.  But "brief" is probably the word for it as the CSB team unleashed a key 8-0 run that now had them up 44-38 by the end of the third period.  To their credit, the UW-River Falls team got this one tightened up again as they closed the gap to two points down 44-42 by the 7:45 mark of the fourth period and they would eventually get this contest leveled again at 44 a piece by the 6:10 mark.  But down the stretch, the UW-River Falls team ran out of gas and that allowed the CSB team to assume the lead again for good at 46-44 with 4:15 left and they were able to close this one out to claim a hard-earned victory.........Over on Court 3, two old MIAC rivals were going at it with the Hamline team taking on the GAC Gold team.  The GAC Gold team would hold a 5-2 lead near the midway point of the opening period but they would get things stretched out to 14-6 with 2:10 left and they would maintain this eight-point cushion at 16-8 by the end of the first period.  The GAC Gold team would gradually get its lead to double-digits once the second period got going; enjoying a 25-13 advantage midway through the second period and a tough score in the paint by junior-to-be Rachel Kawiecki gave the GAC Gold team a 27-13 lead with 4:17 left.  But the Hamline team, which had struggled on both ends of the floor thus far, finally found its trademark spunk and unleashed a 9-0 run down the stretch that cut the GAC Gold advantage to 27-22 by the halftime break.  Even though the GAC Gold team was able to establish a bit more breathing room with a 31-22 lead by the 8:00 mark of the 3rd period, this pesky Hamline team again would make inroads and get things slimmed down again to just five down 33-28 near the midway point of the third period.  With 3:50 left, it looked as if the GAC Gold team might be in some serious trouble clinging to a 33-30 advantage but the momentum ride that the Hamline team was riding on suddenly ran out of fuel and that allowed the GAC Gold lead to get on a run that saw them re-establish a double-digit advantage at 44-36 by the end of the third period.  The GAC Gold team upped their lead to 50-36 midway through the fourth period as they coasted to the win.

Two interesting games in the 7:15 P.M. slot.  Over on Court 1, two winners from the earlier time slot - the GAC Black team and the CSB team - two old MIAC rivals that know each other very well went at it.  And the GAC Black team would get a big early lift on a three-point bomb by the aforementioned Baranick at the 7:50 mark of the opening period that put them up 3-2 but a battle-tested CSB team would come right back and forge a 12-7 advantage by the midway point and they would stretch that lead to 15-7 with 3:45 left.  By the end of the first period anyway, things were pointing the CSB team's way with a 19-13 lead.  But it wouldn't take long for the GAC Black team to shake whatever doldrums had been holding them back as they quickly closed the gap to one on a 5-0 push by the 8:20 mark of the second period down just 19-18.  A lay-up by senior-to-be Syd Hauger would keep the GAC Black team right in the thick of things down 22-20 at the 6:55 mark.  Then the GAC Black team would embark on a 6-0 push that would put them up 26-22 near the midway point of the second period and although the CSB would close the gap to just one down 26-25 with 3:33 left, the GAC Black team would finish up this second period on a 4-0 push that gave them a bit more breathing room up 30-25 at the halftime break.  The CSB team would make another bid to close the gap once the third period got going; closing to within a single possession down 35-32 by the 8:00 mark but then the GAC Black team would launch a game-changing run that had their lead to 39-32 by the midway point of the third period and the CSB team was never able to fully recover from that.  With 2:30 left, the GAC Black team had upped its lead to 45-36 and they still had a seven-point advantage at 47-40 by the end of the third period.  It didn't take the GAC Black team to start pulling away once the fourth period started as they established a cozy fourteen point lead at 54-40 by the 7:30 mark and with 4:00 left, they enjoyed a 55-43 lead and got the win to close out a strong summer league for them........Over on Court 2, the GAC Gold team was taking on the UW-River Falls team and the latter was looking for some redemption after the disappointment in the earlier time slot.  Both teams would trade three-point bombs in the early going of the opening period and by the midway point of the first period, the GAC Gold team would hold a slim 8-7 advantage.  But the UW-River Falls team would get its high-octane offense rolling and with 2:00 left they would hold a 14-10 advantage and they would increase that lead to 19-13 by the end of the first period.  The UW-River Falls team would up its lead to 21-13 in the early moments of the second period and by the midway point of the second period, the UW-River Falls team had a ten-point cushion at 25-15.  Meanwhile, the GAC Gold team finally shook off the cobwebs that had been hampering them and cut the deficit down to seven down 27-20 with 1:00 left and by the halftime break, the GAC Gold team managed to slice one more point off that deficit down 27-21.  The GAC Gold team managed to squeeze further; getting the deficit down to five points down 29-24 at the 8:00 mark of the third period and stayed in that five-point range down 37-32 with 3:30 left.  With 2:25 left, the GAC Gold would get a big boost when sophomore-to-be Rylie Schnell drained a "3" that helped cut the deficit down to four down 39-35 and there still seemed to be hope when the GAC Gold was in the six-point range down 41-35 by the end of the third period.  But any momentum that the GAC Gold team may have had vanished into thin air once the fourth period got going as the UW-River Falls team turned up the heat and started getting separation; upping their lead to 44-37 by the 8:10 mark and by the midway point, the UW-River Falls team was putting the finishing touches on this one with a sixteen-point advantage up 53-37 as the cruised to an easy win to end a good summer league for them.  

Of course, the big enchilada on this night was the Championship Game in the 8:15 P.M. slot on Court 1 that pitted arguably the two best teams in this year's Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League - the Lady Hustlers team and the Wash-Ups team.  A nice crowd had gathered for this one and you could just tell by the vibes that both teams were ready to rock and roll.  But it would be the Wash-Ups team with the swag coming out of the gate as they totally befuddled their opponent as they came out on fire with two three-point bombs that had them up 6-0 by the 8:36 mark of the opening period and by the midway point of the first period, the Wash-Ups team would increase that lead to 8-0.  A bit later, the Wash-Ups teams would up its lead to 10-0 when Macy Hatlestad (UST '21) knocked down a mid-range jumper from the top and the situation would continue to become even more dire for the Lady Hustlers team as they kept misfiring and missing seemingly easy lay-ups.  With 4:36 left, the Wash-Ups team increased its lead to 13-0 and with 2:00 left, that lead would increase to 15-0.  The Wash-Ups team would eventually get their lead up to a shocking 20-0 before the Lady Hustlers team finally dusted off the net on its basket at the tail end of the opening period.  The Lady Hustlers team finally found some semblance of offense once the second period got going but they were unable to slow down the potent attack of the Wash-Ups team that kept throwing daggers on this night as they would enjoy a 24-10 advantage at the 7:45 mark and would maintain this fourteen-point edge with a 26-12 lead near the midway point of the second period.  The Lady Hustlers team was able to trim the deficit down to eleven points at 26-15 with 2:45 left but they could not get back into single-digit range.  And the Wash-Ups team got a big insurance three-point bomb by former UST and Lester Prairie standout Madi Radtke at the buzzer from the left corner that gave them a cozy 33-17 lead at the halftime break.  The Lady Hustlers team would make another bid to crawl back into this contest as they had the deficit trimmed back down to eleven points again down 33-22 by the 8:10 mark of the third period but once again they would be turned back by a determined Wash-Ups team and Radtke would come through big time again with a sweet steal and lay-up the other way that would give them a 38-22 lead at the 6:13 mark.  With 2:40 left in the third period, the Wash-Ups team would still be in firm control with a 40-25 advantage and they would still hold a commanding 42-29 lead by the end of the third period.  The Lady Hustlers team would desperately try and find one more burst of magic once the fourth period got going but making a serious dent in the cushion was slowly but surely becoming a bridge too far as they would still trail by thirteen down 45-32 by the 7:45 mark and they could only shave off one point off the deficit near the midway juncture of the fourth period down 45-33.  By this point, the Wash-Ups team could smell blood and closed in for the kill; increasing their lead to 49-33 with 4:02 left and 53-35 with 1:10 left and the celebration was on for them with sweet victory at the end!

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Tuesday 7-25-23

 Here's a review of the opening playoff games I was able to cover on this last Tuesday evening over at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:

6:15 P.M. Games

Anoka-Ramsey - 47

Northwestern - 42

Hamline - 44

Luther - 30

7:15 P.M. Games

GAC Black - 59

UW-Eau Claire - 44

UW-River Falls - 58

Bethel - 35

GAC Gold - 50

St. Scholastica - 37

Only two games in the 6:15 P.M. slot on this night but the drama that unfolded on Court 1 more than made up for it and was easily the best game on this Tuesday night as the Anoka-Ramsey team and the Northwestern team went at it.  The Northwestern team would have the upper hand early on; grabbing an early 3-0 lead on a three-point bomb right off the bat and they would hold a 3-2 advantage by the 7:30 mark of the first period.  But this tricky and unpredictable Anoka-Ramsey team would provide a hint of things to come later on as they would forge ahead 6-4 near the midway point of the first period.  The Northwestern team would have a strong response to this first challenge as they would go on a 7-0 push to hold an 11-6 advantage lead with 1:20 left and they would maintain this five-point edge up 13-8 by the end of the first period.  The Northwestern team would hold this same lead at the 7:30 mark of the second period and they would be able to gradually stretch this lead out a bit up 19-11 with 3:10 left although the pesky Anoka-Ramsey team would manage to whittle the deficit back down to five points at 20-15 by the halftime break.  The Northwestern team would again up its lead once the third period got underway at 22-15 by the 8:00 mark and they would be holding this same 22-15 advantage by the midway juncture of the third period.  For a brief moment, it appeared that the Northwestern team had finally managed to shake their opponent when they got their lead to nine at 26-15 but once again, the Anoka-Ramsey team had vastly different ideas and they would unleash back-to-back three-pint bombs to cut the Northwestern team's lead to 26-21 with 3:40 left.  Even though the Northwestern team would build a bit more breathing room by the end of the third period up 33-27, you just had a feeling that this would be a tenuous lead.  That notion was reinforced once the fourth period got going as the Northwestern teams lead would be cut to four at 38-34 by the 7:45 mark and by the midway point of the fourth period, the Anoka-Ramsey team had finally crawled back to within a single possession down 40-37.  With 3:45 left, things definitely started looking dangerous for this Northwestern team as their lead was down to a scant point at 40-39 and even though they would hold a 42-40 lead with 1:20 left in regulation, this Anoka-Ramsey team which had come up short on several other occasions would finally break through.  With just under a minute left, they would get this game tied at 42 a piece and a nifty lay-up and an "and one" with :35 left finally pushed the Anoka-Ramsey team up for good at 45-42.  They would add one insurance score in the waning moments as they came away with a big upset victory........Over on Court 3, an interesting clash was taking place between the Hamline team and the Luther team and although it lacked the drama that was going down on Court 1, it still was a fun one to watch.  The Hamline team would assume an early 4-2 lead by the 8:15 mark of the opening period and they would eventually get that lead stretched out to 8-2 when sophomore-to-be and former Centennial standout Camille Cummings connected on a pretty lay-up near the midway point of the first period.  With 1:20 left, the Hamline team established a ten-point cushion at 14-4 and by the end of the first period, the Hamline lead was at 16-7.  Things would continue to go the Hamline team's way once the second period got going and they would enjoy a 25-11 advantage midway through the second period and by the halftime break, that lead would grow to 28-11.  By the 8:00 mark of the third period, the Hamline team was now sitting on a cushy twenty-point cushion up 31-11 that would only continue to grow as they would be up 35-13 with 3:20 left in the third period and by the end of the third period, the lead had ballooned to 40-15.  The Luther team finally found some semblance of offense once the fourth period got going as they had the deficit down to eighteen points at 40-22 but they had dug themselves into way too deep of a hole as the Hamline team had things in cruise control the rest of the way.

A full slate of games in the 7:15 P.M. slot and over on Court 1, a much-anticipated match-up between the GAC Black team and the UW-Eau Claire team was taking place.  The UW-Eau Claire team would hold a slim 4-3 advantage at the 7:50 mark of the opening period and they would still be clinging to that one-point edge at 12-11 with 3:10 left.  But the GAC Black team would turn the tables on their opponent as they would fight back and grab a one-point lead of their own at 14-13 by the end of the first period.  But the GAC Black team was leaving nothing to chance and they started to get some separation once the second period got underway; and a key 12-1 push had them up 26-14 midway through the second period.  With just 1:00 left in the second period, the GAC Black team had grown its lead to 33-17 and by the halftime break, they would add one insurance score to be holding a 35-17 advantage.  But before anyone could count out the UW-Eau Claire team, they were able to make a big run of their own once the third period got underway; trimming the deficit to fourteen at 37-23 by the 8:15 mark and with 3:30 left in the third period, the once-sizable lead by the GAC Black team had been cut to four at 41-37.  Things definitely looked precarious for the GAC Black team when the UW-Eau Claire team finally crawled back to within a single possession down 41-39 with 2:55 left but when challenged, the GAC Black team held firm and a big "3" by senior-to-be Syd Hauger helped get the GAC Black team a bit more breathing room up 46-39 by the end of the third period.  Curiously, the UW-Eau Claire team was never able to recover from that near-miss and the GAC Black team was able to grow its lead again; up 50-39 midway through the fourth period enroute to the victory.......The battle ensuing over on Court 2 was another MIAC/WIAC clash - a rematch between the Bethel team and the UW-River Falls team from just a few weeks ago.  And this game would pretty much follow the same pattern as the one before; although you didn't exactly need an abacus to keep track of things at the beginning.  The UW-River Falls team would hold a 2-0 lead at the 6:50 mark of the first period and would be up 5-2 by the midway point.  By the end of the first period, both teams started showing more offensive prowess but it would be the UW-River Falls team holding a 13-8 advantage.  The UW-River Falls team kicked things into second gear in the second period; getting their lead to 23-12 near the midway point and by the halftime break, they had increased that lead to 27-15.  The Bethel team continued to struggle offensively and the UW-River Falls team would take advantage getting their lead to 31-18 by the 7:10 mark before the Bethel team could finally launch a bit of a push to get things back into single-digit range down 31-23 near the midway point of the third period.  But the Bethel team was unable to sustain this momentum and the UW-River Falls team got things going again down the stretch to get a double-digit advantage once again at 39-27 by the end of the third period.  The UW-River Falls team would hold a 43-30 lead by the 7:45 mark of the fourth period and would stretch it out to 50-34 by the midway point of the fourth period as they would roll to an easy win...........Over on Court 3, the GAC Gold team was taking on the St. Scholastica team and the latter would hold a 4-3 advantage at the 6:12 mark of the opening period but the GAC Gold team would have the better of things down the stretch of this opening period as they would be up 11-8 by the end of the first period.  The GAC Gold team would maintain this three-point edge up 13-10 midway through the second period but the St. Scholastica team would get this contest leveled at 13 a piece with 3:50 left on a pretty drive and finish by graduated senior Katie Vaske.  But again it would be the GAC Gold team finishing strong as they would hold a 19-15 lead by the halftime break.  This game would continue to be close with the GAC Gold team holding a 21-17 lead by the 7:30 mark of the third period but things would start getting away from the St. Scholastica team as the GAC Gold team would get on a bit of a run that stretched their lead to 32-23 by the end of the third period.  The GAC Gold would start running away with this one once the fourth period got underway; holding a twenty-point cushion at 43-23 midway through as they cruised down the stretch.  

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 7-12-23

 Definitely a fun night with some great games on this Wednesday night!  

6:15 P.M. Games

Hamline - 40

St. Kate's - 39

CSB - 66

Retired Athletes -38

GAC Black - 38

Anoka-Ramsey - 34  OT

7:15 P.M. Games

UW-Eau Claire - 90

Guards Of The Galaxy - 76

Wash-Ups - 78

Luther - 28

UW-River Falls - 61

Bethel - 35

The 6:15 P.M. slot on this Wednesday nigh certainly didn't disappoint with two great games going on - one of them on Court 1 that saw the St. Kate's team taking on the Hamline team in a battle of MIAC rivals that know each other very well.  The St. Kate's team got off to a solid start in this one; grabbing a 4-0 lead by the 8:45 mark of the opening period and they would still have that four-point edge up 6-2 with 3:50 left in the first period.  The Hamline team; which struggled out of the gate in this one, finally found its shooting touch and got some offense going down the stretch of the opening period but still trailed 11-8 by the end of the first period.  Undeterred, the Hamline team would poke its nose out in front by the midway juncture of the second period at 15-13 and they get some more breathing room with a 20-15 advantage with 1:25 left.  But the St. Kate's team was not going to stay down for long as they embarked on a 6-2 push down the stretch that had them right back in the thick of things down just 22-21 by the halftime break.  With its newfound momentum, the St. Kate's team would go on a 9-2 run that had them up 30-24 near the midway point of the third period but you knew the Hamline team wasn't going anywhere either and they quickly clawed their way right back into it as they had the deficit down to two at 32-30 with 1:45 left in the third period and by the end of the third period, the St. Kate's team was still clinging to that two-point lead at 34-32.  The St. Kate's team would still hold a slight upper hand once the fourth period got going and by the midway point of the fourth period, they would still have that two-point edge up 39-37 but the never-say-die Hamline team got this one leveled at 39 with just over 3:00 remaining in regulation and with 1:45 left things were still up in the air with this contest still deadlocked at 39.  The Hamline team would be the benefactor of a free throw that would put them up 40-39 and although the St. Kate's teams would have a handful of opportunities to steal the W - including a heave-ho desperation shot in the waning seconds, the Hamline team held on for a thrilling and fun win.......Over on Court 2, the Retired Athletes team was taking on the CSB team and although the Retired Athletes team got off to a good start in this one; taking a 5-0 lead early on thank to a "3" by Danielle Schaub (Sioux Falls '22) and would manage to grow that lead to 9-2 by the 6:50 mark of the first period, things started to go slowly south for them as the CSB cleverly worked their way back into this one; leveling the contest at 13 a piece with 3:50 left and just before the buzzer that ended this first period, the CSB team would connect on a lay-up that would put them ahead to stay at 15-13.  Things would still be relatively close once the second period got going with the CSB team up 17-14 by the 6:08 mark of the second period and they would hold a 23-17 lead with 3:50 left but the home stretch saw the Retired Athletes team dig themselves into a hole they would not be able to crawl out of as the CSB team would hold a 28-19 advantage with 1:50 left and by the halftime break, the CSB team had established a cozy 34-21 lead.  The CSB team would hold a 28-16 lead by the 7:45 mark of the third period and by the midway point of the third period, the CSB team's lead had ballooned to 42-26.  By the end of the third period, the CSB team was enjoying a 48-33 advantage and at the midway point of the fourth period, there was little doubt as to how this one was going to end with the CSB team up 55-35 as they cruised to an easy win.......The other wild game of the night took place on Court 3 that featured an intriguing matchup between the Anoka-Ramsey team and the GAC Black team.  The Anoka-Ramsey team would use its speed and athleticism to grab a 4-0 lead by the 8:00 mark of the opening period and they would maintain this four-point edge with a 6-2 lead near the midway point of the first period.  The Anoka-Ramsey team would hold a 13-8 lead with :45 left in the first period but a daring coast-to-coast drive and finish by junior-to-be Kylie Baranick in the closing seconds got the GAC Black team back to within a single possession down 13-10 at the end of the first period.  But the Anoka-Ramsey team would still manage to hold the upper hand in this contest as they would be up 15-11 near the midway point of the second period and would hold a 21-16 lead with 1:15 left.  A resourceful GAC Black team, however, would get a late score to stay within a single possession down just 21-18 by the halftime break.  The Anoka-Ramsey team's lead would be cut to 21-20 by the 7:50 mark of the third period and the GAC Black team would finally poke its nose out in front when senior-to-be Izzy (Izzy Izzy, you're making me dizzy) Quick connected on a lay-up in transition at the 6:30 mark that now had the GAC Black team up 23-22.  The GAC Black team would still be clinging to this one-poing edge at 24-23 with 1:55 left but the Anoka-Ramsey team would retake the lead at 25-24 with 1:20 left and they would hold this lead by the end of the third period.  The GAC Black team would come right back and snare that lead away at 30-29 by the 7:30 mark of the fourth period and they would hold the upper hand with 3:30 left up 32-30.  But a gamey Anoka-Ramsey team would not go quietly into the night without a fight and they would retake the lead at 34-33 with just :44 left in regulation.  Baranick would come through for the GAC Black team; getting one free throw to go down with :34 left that leveled the contest and neither team could connect in the waning seconds so off to overtime we went.  In the extra session, the GAC Black team would get a big lift from Quick as the former Champlin Park standout would make a hard drive for a finish with 1:50 left to make it a 36-34 ballgame and Baranick would get a couple of insurance free throws with :19 left as the GAC Black team held on for an exciting and fun win.

Over on Court 1 in the 7:15 P.M. slot, the storyline here was who could light up the scoreboard the most as this battle between the Guards Of The Galaxy team and the UW-Eau Claire team was a scoring fest from the get-go with any real defensive tactics sitting in the audience.  The UW-Eau Claire team would hold a 6-5 lead by the 8:30 mark of the opening period and they would still have the upper hand with an 11-9 advantage by the midway point of the first period.  The UW-Eau Claire team would hold an 18-15 edge with 2:00 left and by the end of the first period, they would have a bit more breathing room with a 24-20 lead. Things appeared to be going good for the UW-Eau Claire team as they stretched the lead to 27-20 early in the second period but then the Guards Of The Galaxy team put things into second gear; going on a big run that enabled them to take a 35-31 lead by the midway point of the second period.  A lay-up by Alison Hinck (GAC '21) had the Guards Of The Galaxy team up 40-36 with 4:07 left.  Although that lead would be trimmed to 42-40 with 1:50 left, Hinck - the former White Bear Lake standout - buried a three-point bomb with :25 left to make it a 45-40 game but right back came the UW-Eau Claire team as they would get a "3" of their own to go down right before the buzzer that trimmed the Galaxy Of The Guards team's lead to 45-43 at the halftime break.  The Galaxy Of The Guards team got another big lift when Marisa Gustafson (GAC '21) drained a pretty "3" of her own that had them up 48-43 early on in the third period but the UW-Eau Claire team would come right back and grab a 58-56 lead midway through the third period.  The Guards Of The Galaxy team would answer and get this contest knotted up at 62 with 2:25 left and by the end of the third period, things were up in the air with this game leveled at 64.  But things would slowly go south for the Guards Of The Galaxy team as they seemed to run out of petro once the fourth period got going.  The UW-Eau Claire team would own a 72-68 lead near the midway point of the fourth period and that lead would grow to 76-68 with 4:15 left.  With 2:45 left, the UW-Eau Claire team was crusing up 83-68 as they would claim not only the win but likely the highest scoring output thus far in the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League.......No such drama over on Court 2 that saw the Luther team taking on the Wash-Ups team and it didn't take long to see how things were going to flow in this one with the latter up 5-0 by the 7:43 mark of the opening period.  With 2:20 left, the Wash-Ups team's lead ballooned to 20-2 and by the end of the first period, the Wash-Ups team was rolling up 25-4.  That lead would grow to 29-4 early on in the second period and with 3:15 left, the Wash-Ups team was enjoying a 38-11 advantage and although the Luther team would find some semblance of offense down the stretch, they were still staring at a 48-16 deficit by the halftime break.  Not much would change in this one with the Wash-Ups team up 46-20 midway through the third period and by the end of the third period, that lead had grown to 57-23.  By the midway point of the fourth period, things were pretty much academic with the Wash-Ups team enjoying a 69-23 lead as they had things in cruise control the rest of the way.......It was a similar story over on Court 3 in this time slot that featured a clash between MIAC and WIAC opponents that saw the Bethel team taking on the UW-River Falls team.  It didn't take long for the UW-River Falls team to unleash its offensive prowess as they took a somewhat surprising 7-0 lead by the midway point of the first period and by the end of the first period, the UW-River Falls team would be enjoying a 15-6 advantage.  By the midway point of the second period, the UW-River Falls team was cruising; up 26-8 and although the Bethel team finally got a little something going on offense, they still could not slow the potent attack of the UW-River Falls team as they would be up 34-16 with 1:20 left and by the halftime break, the UW-River Falls team had a seemingly insurmountable 37-18 advantage.  The UW-River Falls team would be up 39-18 early on in the third period and with 3:00 left, they would hold a 45-26 lead.  The Bethel team got a lift on a "3" by senior-to-be Anna Garfield late in the third period but they were still on the wrong end of a 47-33 score once the fourth period began.  The UW-River Falls team would be holding on to this same lead by the 7:20 mark of the fourth period as they rolled to a big win.

This coming night is the final night of the regular season and I'll have to miss this week as I'm on vacation enjoying myself 😁.  However, I'll be back as playoff action will commence the following Tuesday (7-25) with Championship night on Wednesday (7-26).  

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 6-28-23

 Another good round of games that I got to cover this last Wednesday night at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:

6:15 P.M. Games

Northwestern - 52

St. Scholastica - 48

Wash-Ups - 49

Bethel - 45

GAC Gold - 59

St. Kate's - 36

7:15 P.M. Games

Guards Of The Galaxy - 66

Luther - 49

CSB - 49

UW-River Falls - 46

Retired Athletes - 58

Gotcha Hats - 56

So, on Court 1 in the 6:15 P.M. slot, an interesting battle of sorts between the St. Scholastica team and the Northwestern team was ensuing.  The Northwestern team would take an early 5-2 lead by the 8:35 mark of the opening period and they would maintain that three-point edge at 8-5 near the midway point of the first period.  The St. Scholastica team, however, was not going anywhere and they managed to get this game tied at 14 a piece coming down the stretch of the first period although the Northwestern team would take a 16-14 advantage thanks to a tough jumper right before the buzzer to end the first period.  The Northwestern team shrugged off its lackluster start in this game and quickly got some space built up once the second period got underway; getting a 19-14 advantage early on and then building up a double-digit safety net at 28-16 near the midway point of the second period.  But just when things started looking relatively safe for the Northwestern team, a gamey St. Scholastica team went right back to work and unleashed a 10-2 run down the stretch and by the halftime break, the St. Scholastica team was right back in the thick of things again down just 30-26.  The Northwestern team found things a bit more ominous for them when their lead was cut to 36-34 by the 6:35 mark of the third period but they were able to get some more breathing room with 2:20 left in the third period up 40-34 but a pesky St. Scholastica team refused to take "no" for an answer.  A three-point bomb had this game tied at 40 late in the third period and by the end of the third period, the St. Scholastica team had poked its nose out in front by a 43-42 count.  Alarmed, the Northwestern team grabbed the lead right back on a 4-0 burst at 46-43 early on in the fourth period and even though the St. Scholastica team kept things tight; trailing just 49-48 by the midway point of the fourth period, they could never get the lead back.  The Northwestern team would hold a 52-48 lead with 1:20 left in regulation and would take a hard-earned "W".........Another really good one was going on next door over on Court 2 between the Wash-Ups team and the Bethel team.  This one would be deadlocked at two a piece early on in the contest but the Bethel team would forge ahead; grabbing a 7-4 advantage near the midway point of the first period and the Bethel team would still have the upper hand in this one with a 10-8 advantage with 3:00 left and would be up 16-13 by the end of the first period.  A 6-0 spurt by the Bethel team to start the second period had them in very good shape up 22-13 early on but the experienced Wash-Ups team wasn't going to be held down forever as they would unleash an 8-0 run of their own to cut the gap to a scant point at 22-21 with 3:55 left in the second period and the Wash-Ups team would take a 23-22 lead a short time later and by the halftime break, the Wash-Ups team would hold a 25-22 advantage.  The Wash-Ups team would build a bit more breathing space with a 29-24 advantage by the midway point of the third period but a stubborn Bethel team was not going anywhere anytime soon and by the end of the third period, the Wash-Ups team's lead was cut to 34-32.  The Wash-Ups team would still continue to hold a somewhat tenuous advantage; up 38-35 by the 7:20 mark of the fourth period and 40-37 by the midway point of the third period but with 2:25 left, the Bethel team got this game tied up at 43 and the Wash-Ups team faced their first true test.  But they would rise to the occasion when it counted with some clutch play and scores to take a 47-43 lead with 1:30 left and hold on for a tough victory.........No such drama over on Court 3 meanwhile as two MIAC rivals were going at it with the St. Kate's team taking on the GAC Gold team.  This game probably should have been called "The Riley Queensland Show" as the senior-to-be out of Grand Meadow was simply lighting it up on this night for the GAC Gold team.  Her first trey came at the 6:50 mark of the opening period that gave the GAC Gold team a 6-2 advantage and it would only grow from there as they would stretch the lead to 11-2 with 3:25 left in the first period and they would hold on to that nine-point lead up 13-4 by the end of the first period.  The GAC Gold team - and Queensland - would keep pouring it on as she unleashed another three-point dagger that had the GAC Gold team up 21-4 midway through the second period before the St. Kate's team could finally turn around its thus far dormant offense and get the deficit trimmed to ten at 27-17 by the halftime break.  But there would be no stopping the GAC Gold team - or Queensland for that matter on this night as she would bury another "3" that had the GAC Gold team up 37-25 by the midway point of the third period and by the end of the third period, the GAC Gold team was cruising up 44-27.  The GAC Gold team would have a twenty-point cushion up 51-31 by the midway point of the fourth period as they cruised to an easy victory.  

Perhaps the most underrated team in this Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League has been the Guards Of The Galaxy team and they were in action on Court 1 in the 7:15 P.M. slot taking on the Luther team.  This game would be tied at 4-all early on but the Guards Of The Galaxy would take an 8-4 lead by the midway point of the first period and that lead would get stretched to 14-8 with 1:30 left in this opening period.  To their credit, the Luther team would go on a 4-0 spurt to cut the deficit to two by the end of the first period at 14-12 and they would continue to hang touch once the second period got going and by the midway point of the second period, the Luther team had this game deadlocked at 18.  This game would still be tied at 21 a piece with 1:20 left in the second period before the Guards Of The Galaxy team got a bit of breathing space up 24-21 by the halftime break.  The Guards Of The Galaxy team finally started taking control of things with a 30-23 lead early on in the third period and by the midway point of the third period, they had established a double-digit advantage up 36-25 and they would maintain this cushion with a 46-36 lead by the end of the third period.  The Guards Of The Galaxy team would continue to control this game once the fourth period got underway and with 2:30 left, they would hold a 57-45 advantage.  Marisa Gustafson (GAC '21) would knock down a pair of insurance free throws with 1:45 left as the Guards Of The Galaxy team would book another win on their resume........One of the more anticipated games on this night was the one taking place over on Court 2 between the CSB team and the UW-River Falls team; a MIAC/WIAC clash of sorts between what seemed to be two evenly-matched squads.  This contest would be tied at four a piece at the 7:50 mark of the opening period but the CSB team would grab the upper hand soon thereafter and hold a 9-4 advantage with 2:50 left in the first period and would enjoy a 13-6 lead by the end of the first period.  Things were still looking very good for the CSB team with an 18-10 lead midway through the second period but then the UW-River Falls team unleashed an 11-0 tear that suddenly had them out in front by a 21-18 count with 2:00 left and they would still hold the lead by the halftime break up 22-20.  The UW-River Falls team would enjoy a 25-20 lead by the 6:50 mark of the third period but just when it seemed like they had things going their way, the CSB team came right back as they would have the deficit cut to just two at 25-23 midway through the third period and they would retake the lead at 26-25 with 2:30 left and by the end of the third period, they would hold a 32-27 advantage.  Things would remain unchanged by the 7:05 mark of the fourth period the UW-River Falls team was far from finished.  They would get the deficit cut to one at 40-39 with 3:20 left in regulation and with 1:40 left, they would get this game tied again at 42 a piece.  The CSB team would be up 46-44 with 1:15 left and they would be clinging to a 47-46 lead with :27 left.  The CSB team would get a pair of free throws to go down with :06 left and the UW-River Falls team had one last chance to try and force overtime but the desperation heave-ho three-point attempt missed its mark as the CSB team hung on for a fun and thrilling win........Another great game took place over on Court 3 between the Retired Athletes team and the Gotcha Hats team.  This one certainly appeared to be dominated by the Retired Athletes team early on as they bolted out to an 8-0 lead and led 13-4 with 2:20 left in the 1st period.  A three-point bomb by Danielle Schaub (Sioux Falls '22) stretched that lead to 16-4 a short time later and by the end of the first period, the Retired Athletes team enjoyed an 18-7 advantage.  The Gotcha Hats team finally got things going in the second period as they unleashed a 7-0 burst that had the deficit trimmed to 18-14 by the 6:25 mark of the second period but the Retired Athletes team didn't panic and they went on another run that got their lead back up to double-digits again up 28-16 with 3:10 left and by the halftime break, the Retired Athletes team seemed to have things fully in control with a cozy 34-20 advantage.  And there were certainly no signs of danger yet as the Retired Athletes team held a 36-22 lead at the 7:45 mark of the third period and led 44-28 with 3:20 left in the third period and by the end of the third period, things seemed like a done deal with the Retired Athletes up 48-33.  Things were still looking very good for the Retired Athletes team as they held a 54-41 lead midway through the fourth period but whether it was fatigue or a suddenly hot Gotcha Hats team, the tables started turning in this contest down the stretch as the Gotcha Hats team went on a tear coming down the stretch that saw the Retired Athletes team's lead shaved to six at 58-52 with 1:00 left and with :13 left, the Gotcha Hats team climbed back to within a single possession after a three-point bomb down just 58-56.  A foiled possession by the Retired Athletes team gave the Gotcha Hats team one last chance with with just a couple of ticks in regulation left, they got an open look from behind the arc but the shot attempt rattled off the rim as the Retired Athletes team heaved a collective sigh of relief with a slim victory.

So things take a break this next week with the Fourth Of July holiday but things will get going again on Wednesday July 12 so hope to see you all down there!  

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 6-21-23

 Here are the results of the games I was able to cover this last Wednesday night at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:

6:15 P.M. Games

Anoka-Ramsey - 54

Luther - 32

St. Kate's - 54

Retired Athletes - 49

Wash-Ups - 62

Hamline - 45

7:15 P.M. Games

GAC Black - 66

Guards Of The Galaxy - 52

UW-River Falls - 51

Gotcha Hats - 42

UW-Eau Claire - 62

Bethel - 61

An interesting matchup was taking place on Court 1 between the young Anoka-Ramsey team and the Luther team in the 6:15 P.M. slot and although the game would be knotted at two a piece by the 7:15 mark of the opening period, it didn't take long for speed and athleticism of the Anoka-Ramsey team to start taking control of this contest.  They would hold an 8-4 advantage by the midway point of the first period and that lead would grow to 12-4 with 1:05 left in the first period and to 13-4 by the end of the first period.  The Luther team was having considerable difficulty trying to jump start its dormant offense and by the midway point of the second period the Anoka-Ramsey team was enjoying a 17-6 advantage and that lead would grow even more to 22-10 with 2:21 left and by the halftime break, the Anoka-Ramsey team held a sizable 28-13 advantage.  Not much would change once the third period got underway as the Anoka-Ramsey was maintaining the fifteen-point edge at 31-18 midway thru the third period and by the end of the third period, the Anoka-Ramsey team was starting to run away with this one up 40-21.  The Anoka-Ramsey team would be up 43-23 by the midway point of the third period as they cruised to an easy win.......A much wilder affair was ensuing over on Court 2 between the Retired Athletes team and the St. Kate's team with the latter holding a 3-0 lead by the 8:35 mark of the opening period and they would stretch that lead to 6-0 by the 7:45 mark.  By the midway point of the first period, the St. Kate's team was rolling; up 14-2 and they would still enjoy a 17-5 advantage with 2:05 left before the Retired Athletes team finally got some offense going that got the St. Kate's team lead down to 19-8 by the end of the first period.  But the St. Kate's team was just getting started with its array of offensive fireworks as they would get their lead bulged to 29-10 by the midway point of the second period and would lead 32-12 with 3:15 left and would still hold a sizable 34-17 lead by the halftime break.  The St. Kate's team got their lead to 37-19 early on in the third period and although the Retired Athletes team got a big boost on a pretty three-point bomb by former Park Center standout Danielle Schaub (Sioux Falls '22), it seemed like any comeback effort was a lost cause by this point.  Astonishingly enough, however, that Schaub "3" sparked a huge resurgence by the Retired Athletes team as they had the deficit down to thirteen at 37-24 midway through the third period and by the end of the third period, the Retired Athletes team had suddenly crawled back to within single-digit range down 39-32.  The Retired Athletes team continued with its newfound momentum as they had the deficit whittled down to six at 44-38 by the 6:45 mark of the fourth period and a short jumper by former Waconia standout Anna Schmitt (Concordia St Paul '19) had the Retired Athletes team right back in the thick of things down 46-42 with a ton of time left at the midway point of the fourth period.  Alas, this comeback attempt by the Retired Athletes team would run out of gas at the most crucial moment as they could not get closer.  The St. Kate's team would hold a 50-45 advantage with 3:00 left and would hold firm down the stretch to claim a tough win.......Over on Court 3, another MIAC team was taking on a mixed/alumni team as the Hamline team was facing off with the Wash-Ups team.  The Wash-Ups team would hold a small 3-2  lead by the 7:15 mark of the opening period but that lead would grow to 10-4 by the midway point of the first period.  By the end of the first period, it appeared that the Wash-Ups team was running away with this one up 21-9 but the spunky Hamline team said "Not so fast" as they embarked on a 9-0 run that had them back to within a single possession down 21-18 midway through the second period and a three-point bomb by senior-to-be Michaela Stamer cut the once-sizable lead by the Wash-Ups team down to a scant two points at 23-21 with 4:50 left.  The Wash-Ups team didn't panic, however, and got a bit more breathing room up 28-24 late in the second period and built up their safety net a bit more by the halftime break up 30-24.  The Wash-Ups team would maintain this six-point edge up 33-27 early on in the third period and a pretty three-point bomb by former Alexandria standout Macy Hatlestad (UST '21) kept the Wash-Ups team's lead at six at 36-30 by the midway point of the third period.  The Hamline team would get somore heroics by Stamer with her three-point bomb in the late moments of the third period but the Wash-Ups team still had breathing space up 44-39 by the end of the third period.  The Wash-Ups team would slowly start growing their lead once the fourth period got underway; up 51-41 by the 6:30 mark of the fourth period as they would have things in cruise control the rest of the way for the win.  

An interesting battle was taking place on Court 1 in the 7:15 P.M. slot that saw the GAC Black team taking on the Guards Of The Galaxy team.  The GAC Black team would have the slight upper hand in this one early on with a 2-0 lead by the 8:05 mark of the opening period and the GAC Black team would get a big boost on a pretty lay-up by senior-to-be Izzy (Izzy Izzy, you're making me dizzy) Quick that gave them a 13-10 advantage with 2:55 left in the first period.  Undaunted, the Guards Of The Galaxy team would quickly get this contest knotted at 15 a piece with exactly 2:00 left but the GAC Black team would get more heroics by the former Champlin Park standout - Quick - on a tough score down low that drew a foul that resulted in the obligatory "and one" that put the GAC Black team up 18-15 and that moment seemed to provide a big spark for the rest of the GAC Black team as they went on a 7-0 tear after that to hold a 25-15 advantage by the end of the first period.  The GAC Black team would maintain this double-digit advantage with a 32-20 lead by the 7:10 mark of the second period and they would still enjoy a 34-25 lead by the midway point of the second period and by the halftime break, the GAC Black team would be up 41-31.  That lead would continue to grow for the GAC Black team as a tough finish by senior-to-be Emma (not evil) Kniefel stretched the GAC Black team's lead to 48-34 by the midway point of the third period and by the end of the third period, the GAC Black team was enjoying a 57-40 advantage.  The GAC Black team would get a big boost from senior-to-be Riley Queensland at the midway point of the fourth period on her tough offensive rebound and putback that gave them a 64-40 advantage as they never looked back........Yet another interesting battle was taking place over on Court 2 between the Gotcha Hats team (a squad made up of mostly current Anoka-Ramsey players) and the UW-River Falls team.  The UW-River Falls team would take the initiative and grab an early 5-2 lead and would hold a 11-5 advantage by the midway point of the first period.  But the Gotcha Hats team would get on a roll down the stretch of the first period as they would close the gap to just two points down 16-14 by the end of the first period.  The Gotcha Hats team would take a 17-16 lead early on in the second period on a three-point bomb and things would stay tight for a good chunk of the second period.  The UW-River Falls team would get the game tied at 23 with 1:15 left in the second period and by the halftime break, the UW-River Falls team had retaken the lead at 25-23.  The Gotcha Hats team would get the game tied again at 25 early on in the third period but the UW-River Falls team would kick things into gear and get on a run that would give them a 33-26 advantage by the midway point of the third period and they would grow their lead to double-digits at 42-31 by the end of the third period.  The UW-River Falls team would maintain this eleven-point edge up 44-33 midway through the fourth period and although the Gotcha Hats team would briefly get the deficit back into single digits late in the contest, they did not have enough to bring it all the way back as the UW-River Falls team hung on for the win.......The game of the night probably took place on Court 3 in this time slot that saw another WIAC team - the UW-Eau Claire team - taking on the Bethel team from the MIAC.  The Bethel team would have the upper hand early on in this contest with a 7-4 lead early on and a 10-5 advantage by the midway point of the first period.  The Bethel team would get on a roll and grow its lead to 27-12 by the end of the first period.  The Bethel team would still enjoy a sizable 33-16 lead early on in the second period but a big push by the UW-Eau Claire team would shrink that lead to 33-25 by the midway point of the second period.  Still, the Bethel team seemed to recover from this as they would grow their lead to 43-32 by the halftime break.  The UW-Eau Claire team would continue to show that its first comeback attempt was no fluke as a 5-0 push out of the gate cut the deficit to six at 43-37 early in the third period and by the midway point of the third period, the Bethel team's lead was down to four at 45-41.  A big three-point bomb by the UW-Eau Claire team brought them back to within a single possession a short time later down 47-44 before the Bethel team could get on a push of their own that gave them some more breathing room up 54-48 by the end of the third period.  But the UW-Eau Claire team now had momentum on its side and they would have this contest leveled at 54 by the 6:08 mark of the fourth period but a pretty drive and finish by senior-to-be Anna Garfield a short time later put the Bethel team back out in front 56-54.  With 2:00 left in regulation, the game would be tied at 58 and although the Bethel team would be clinging to a precarious 61-60 advantage a short time later, two free throws by the UW-Eau Claire team put them up 62-61 - a lead that they would not relinquish down the stretch.

Don't forget that the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League reverts to a Wednesday night format this coming week so hope to see you all down there Wednesday night.    

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Tuesday 6-20-23

 Wasn't able to make it down for last week's games on 6-13 and 6-14 as I had to work late both days and was just too pooped to pop when I got home.  But wasn't going to let that happen this week and here's the results of the games I was able to cover on this last Tuesday evenng 6-20:

6:15 P.M. Games

GAC Gold - 77

CSB - 75

Hamline - 51

St. Scholastica - 40

7:15 P.M. Games

Wash-Ups - 71

St. Scholastica - 44

Retired Athletes - 68

UW-Eau Claire - 63

Bethel - 45

Northwestern - 41

Only two games in the 6:15 P.M. slot on this Tuesday night as GAC wasn't able to bring enough players to field two teams that would have featured one of those teams taking on St. Kate's so that pretty much forced the St. Kate's team to split up and scrimmage against itself and a couple of CSB players.  But, on Court 1, easily the best game on this night saw the GAC Gold team taking on the CSB team as these two old MIAC rivals know each other very well.  This contest would be leveled at three a piece early on as both teams traded early three-point bombs but then the CSB team got a big lift from senior-to-be Carla Meyer when she knocked down a jumper from the left corner just inside the arc that gave them a 13-8 advantage with 3:35 left in the first period and CSB would hold the upper hand by the end of this opening period at 22-18 in what was already proving to be a high-scoring affair.  The GAC Gold team would pull to within a single possession down 26-24 by the 7:00 mark of the second period but then Meyer would strike again - this time from three-point land - to give the CSB team the lead at 29-26 by the midway point of the second period.  Undaunted, the GAC Gold team would battle right back and a three-point bomb by senior Izzy (Izzy Izzy, you're making me dizzy) Quick would give the GAC Gold team a brief 40-39 lead before a late score by the CSB team propelled them back in front at 41-40 by the halftime break.  The CSB team would get a bit more breathing room by the 7:00 mark of the third period with a 50-43 advantage but a push by the GAC Gold team; punctuated by a Quick lay-up, had them right back in the thick of things down 50-47 by the midway point of the third period.  The GAC Gold team would continue with its momentum; taking a 59-55 lead coming down the home stretch of the third period but that four-point cushion was whittled down to a scant point when the CSB team connected with a buzzer-beating three-point bomb by the end of the third period.  The GAC Gold team would hold a 63-61 advantage by the 6:50 mark of the fourth period but Meyer would come through yet again for the CSB team with another three-point bomb that pushed them back in front at 64-63 by the 6:10 mark.  Right back came the GAC Gold team as they would grab a 75-70 lead with 2:25 left in regulation but the CSB team would make one last bid and climb back to get to within a single possession down 77-75 with exactly 1:00 left.  Alas, it was not to be for the CSB team as the GAC Gold team hung on for an exciting win........Two other MIAC rivals were going at it over on Court 3 as the St. Scholastica team was taking on the Hamline team.  The Hamline team would grab a 6-2 lead by the 6:30 mark of the opening period and they would hold a 10-5 advantage by the midway point of the first period.  But the gamey St. Scholastica team would hang tough and slyly chip away at the deficit and by the end of the first period they were right back in the thick of things down 17-16.  A quick 5-0 push by the Hamline team gave them a bit more breathing room up 22-16 by the 8:00 mark of the second period and near the midway point the lead grew to eight at 24-16 but a spurt by the St. Scholastica team cut the deficit to four at 24-20 with 3:00 left in the second period although the Hamline team was able to increase their safety net by the halftime break up 26-20.  The Hamline team started to take control of things once the third period got underway as they would increase their lead to 28-20 by the 8:10 mark of the third period and by the 6:20 mark the Hamline team was keeping this big run going with a cozy 34-20 advantage.  The Hamline team would be up 38-22 with 2:25 left and they would still hold a sizable 38-25 advantage by the end of the third period.  To their credit, the St. Scholastica team would finally get things going again after a relatively dormant third period and cut the deficit to twelve at 40-28 by the 7:30 mark of the fourth period and they would keep picking away and finally crawl back to within single-digit range again down 49-40 with 2:30 left in the contest but the hole they had dug for themselves in that third period was costly as the Hamline coasted in for the win.  

The St. Scholastica team would do double-duty on this night and the immediate task in front of them in the 7:15 P.M. slot would be even more daunting as they would be taking on perhaps the best team in this Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League - the Wash-Ups team.  And the Wash-Ups team looked anything but "washed up" as they would take an early 3-0 lead thank to a three by former UST and Lester Prairie lefty standout Madi Radtke's bomb from behind the arc.  The St. Scholastica team would have this game deadlocked at eight a piece midway through the first period and they would take a brief 17-16 lead with :30 left in the first period but the Wash-Ups team would take the lead right back on another three-point bomb and add another late score to hold a 21-17 lead by the end of the first period.  Things soon started going south for the St. Scholastica team after that as the Wash-Ups team would increase their lead to 30-21 by the midway point of the second period and with :50 left, another dagger "3" by Radtke helped give the Wash-Ups team a sizable 39-21 advantage by the halftime break.  The Wash-Ups team was rolling up 44-24 by the 7:00 mark of the third period and a pretty coast-to-coast lay-up by Caitlin Peterson (St Cloud St '21) enabled the Wash-Ups team to hold an insurmountable 58-31 advantage by the end of the third period.  The Wash-Ups team had things in cruise control by the fourth period; enjoying a 69-38 advantage enroute to an easy win........A much tighter contest was ensuing over on Court 2 between the UW-Eau Claire team and the Retired Athletes team as the former would hold an early 3-0 edge and the UW-Eau Claire team would still be out in front 9-7 by the midway point of the first period and would establish a bit more breathing room up 18-13 by the end of the first period.  Things were still looking good for the UW-Eau Claire team as they would grow their lead to 26-19 by the 6:00 mark of the second period and would increase that lead to nine at 28-19 with 3:30 left in the second period but it was here that the Retired Athletes team got things in gear.  A three-point bomb by former Park Center standout Ann Simonet (UM-Duluth '22) helped bring the Retired Athletes team right back into the thick of things down just 31-28 with 1:45 left and by the halftime break, the Retired Athletes had snared the lead away with a 32-31 advantage.  The Retired Athletes team would hold a 37-35 edge early on in the third period and got a bit of breathing room with a 42-38 advantage by the midway point of the third period.  The UW-Eau Claire team would slice the deficit down to one at 44-43 with 3:21 left in the third period but the Retired Athletes team found a second wind and late run to hold a 54-48 lead by the end of the third period.  The UW-Eau Claire initially looked like they might be in some trouble at this point but they quickly set out to turn the tables once the fourth period got underway and a 7-0 push to start the fourth period had them back out in front 55-54 at the 7:45 mark of the fourth period.  The Retired Athletes team would come right back, however, and take a 62-58 lead with 4:20 left in regulation and increase that lead to 66-61 with 2:05 left to claim the hard-earned victory with former Park Center standout Danielle Schaub (Sioux Falls '22) unofficially tallying 26 points on this night........A north metro neighborhood rivalry between teams from the MIAC and UMAC was going down over on Court 3 as the Bethel team was taking on the Northwestern team.  The latter would grab an early 4-0 lead and they would hold the upper hand throughout the first period; enjoying an 11-8 advantage with 2:15 left in the first period and they would maintain the three-point edge with a 14-11 lead by the end of the first period.  The Northwestern team would attempt to get a bit of space early on in the second period on a three-point bomb that had them up 20-15 by the 8:25 mark but the Bethel team showed that it wasn't going anywhere anytime soon as they had themselves back to within a single possession down 20-17 midway through the second period.  With 1:10 left in the second period, the Northwestern team's lead had shrunk to two at 23-21 and by the halftime break, the Northwestern team was clinging to a 23-22 advantage.  The Bethel team would finally push ahead at 25-23 early on in the third period but the Northwestern team; thus far relying on its three-point prowess, forged back in front at 26-25 by the 7:25 mark of the third period.  The Northwestern team would manage to keep the slightest of upper hands; holding a 34-29 lead with 2:25 left in the third period and seeing that lead shrink again up 34-32 with 1:25 left and by the end of the third period, the Northwestern team once again was hanging by a thread up 35-34.  Things would be deadlocked at 38 by the 6:15 mark of the fourth period but the Northwestern team would again rely on its three-point shooting that allowed them to take a 41-38 lead by the midway point of the fourth period.  Down the stretch however, the three-point shooting aspect would betray the Northwestern team and the Bethel team would rely on a timely "3" of their own to get the game tied again at 41 with 4:50 left.  Less than a minute later, the Bethel team would poke its nose out in front by a 43-41 count and that would grow to 45-41 with 2:00 left as the Bethel team hung on for the tough win.  

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 6-7-23

 Was a little tired on this night as I didn't sleep so well after the first night but I certainly wasn't going to let that stand in my way - at least for the first two time slots anyway - on this Wednesday evening so here's the results of the games I was able to cover on this second night at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:

6:15 P.M. Games

Free Agents - 44

GAC Black - 43

Lady Hustlers - 48

Retired Athletes - 30

Luther - 62

St. Scholastica - 53

7:15 P.M. Games

UW-River Falls - 51

Hamline - 50

Bethel - 47

St. Kate's - 46

Wash-Ups - 84

Guards Of The Galaxy - 50

As you can tell by the scores on this night, some very competitive games took place.  And one of them took place over on Court 1 between another one of the mixed squads call the Free Agents team as they went up against the GAC Black team.  The GAC Black team was short-handed on this night with only five players but that didn't seem to deter them too much as they would hold a 5-3 lead at the 7:45 mark of the opening period and they would still hold the upper hand with 1:25 left in the first period with an 8-6 lead and they would still be up at the end of the first period by an 11-9 count.  The Free Agents team would try and turn the table; grabbing a brief 15-14 edge by the midway point of the second period but then the GAC Black team had enough in them to go on a 10-0 burst; punctuated by a three-point bomb by senior-to-be Syd Hauger with :55 left in the second period and by the halftime break, this short-handed GAC Black team had a somewhat surprising 27-17 lead.  Things were still looking very good for the GAC Black team in the early minutes of the third period as they held a 30-18 advantage at the 8:15 mark but fatigue inevitably caught up with this short-handed GAC Black squad as they would see this double-digit cushion quickly evaporate as the Free Agents team came storming back to take a 32-31 lead with 1:15 left in the third period and by the end of the third period, the Free Agents team held a 36-33 advantage.  The GAC Black team would stay close, however, staying in single-possession range down 38-35 at the 8:00 mark of the fourth period and with 3:25 left, things were still up in the air as the Free Agents team held a somewhat tenuous 42-38 advantage.  With :45 left, a three-point bomb by willowy senior-to-be Emma (not evil) Kniefel had the GAC Black team still in the thick of things down 44-41 and with :10 left, Kniefel would strike again with a pretty drive and finish that now cut the deficit to a scant point but the Free Agents team held firm in the final few frantic seconds to claim a fun win.......Meanwhile, an intriguing contest was taking place over on Court 2 between two other mixed/alumni teams - the Lady Hustlers led by former Minneapolis North and University of Wisconsin standout Tamara Moore and the Retired Athletes team.  The Retired Athletes team would get a big boost early on from Anna Schmitt (Concordia St Paul '19) as the former Waconia standout would drain a three-point bomb at the 8:45 mark of the first period that had them up 6-3 but that lead would be short-lived as the Lady Hustlers team would quickly come back and forge an 8-6 advantage near the midway point of the opening period.  The Lady Hustlers would slowly grow their lead and would enjoy a 16-6 lead by the end of the first period.  Former Park Center standout Danielle Schaub (Sioux Falls '22) would connect on one of her trademark drive and finishes at the 7:25 mark of the second period that had the Retired Athletes team back to within single digits down 18-9 but the Retired Athletes team had a much tougher time trying to contain the wily Moore of the Lady Hustlers as she would help them rebuild that double-digit cushion at 24-14 and a 7-0 push down the stretch by the Lady Hustlers team grew their lead to 31-14 by the halftime break.  The Lady Hustlers seemed to have things in cruise control after that as they would enjoy a 33-17 advantage at the 6:15 mark of the third period and would lead 38-19 by the end of the third period.  By the 6:20 mark of the fourth period, this one was out of reach as the Lady Hustlers were up 42-23 enroute to an easy win.........Court 3 meanwhile was hosting an intriguing battle of its own in an ARC/MIAC clash featuring the Luther team going up against the St. Scholastica team.  Things would be knotted at five near the midway point of the opening period that suggested that a close, tight battle was underway.  But it was here that the Luther team went on a big run that gave them a 19-6 lead with 1:15 left; a lead that they would also have by the end of the period.  The Luther team was cruising by the 6:35 mark of the second period up 28-9 and although the St. Scholastica team managed to get things tightened up somewhat down the stretch, the Luther team still owned a decided 42-26 advantage by the halftime break.  A 9-0 burst by the Luther team out of the gates in the third period had them rolling again up 51-26 and although the St. Scholastica team trimmed off some of that deficit with 2:00 left down 51-31, the Luther team would stretch it out a bit more again by the end of the third period up 56-38.  The Luther team appeared to be cruising; up 59-40 by the midway point but gamey St. Scholastica team would launch an unlikely bid to tighten things up again down 62-51 but they could never get back to within striking distance.

Two very good and entertaining games in the 7:15 P.M. slot.  Court 1 featured a MIAC/WIAC clash as the Hamline team was taking on the UW-River Falls team.  The UW-River Falls team would take an early 5-0 lead by the 7:45 mark of the first period and they would hold this five-point edge up 9-4 near the midway point of this first period.  But the Hamline team would soon catch fire and go on a tear that would have them up 21-14 by the end of the first period.  The UW-River Falls team would take its cue and launch a 9-3 push that cut the deficit to one at 24-23 by the 6:10 mark of the second period and another late run by this UW-River Falls team enabled them to hold a 32-27 lead by the halftime break.  The Hamline team would not be kept down for long, however, and they would get this contest leveled at 35 a piece by the midway point of the third period and fittingly, this game would be deadlocked at 41 a piece by the end of the third period.  This game would still be tied at 44 a piece early on in the fourth period before the UW-River Falls team could build just a slight edge as they would be up 47-46 midway through the fourth period and with just under a minute left in regulation, the UW-River Falls team would hold a 51-48 advantage.  The Hamline team would cut the deficit to one on a pair of free throws with :36 left and they would throw everything at their opponent but the kitchen sink on defense in hopes of forcing a turnover but the UW-River Falls team held firm and ran out the clock for the win.......Two MIAC rivals were going at it over on Court 2 as the St. Kate's team was taking on the Bethel team.  The St. Kate's team would have the upper hand in this contest early on as they would hold a 6-3 lead by the 7:10 mark of the first period and that lead would expand slightly with 1:05 left in the opening period at 12-8.  But things would get even better for the St. Kate's team as a three-point bomb just before the first period buzzer sounded expanded that lead to 15-8.  The Bethel team; perhaps somewhat alarmed by these developments, got its stuff together and went right to work once the second period got underway; trimming the lead by the St. Kate's team to 16-13 early on in the second period and by the 6:15 mark of the second period, the Bethel team would have this game tied at 16 a piece.  The St. Kate's team would recover, however, and grab an 18-17 advantage with 3:25 left in the second period and a late jumper just before the halftime buzzer would propel them on top again by a 22-21 count.  A 4-0 push by the St. Kate's team would have them up 26-21 by the 6:50 mark of the third period and with 3:50 left in the third period, that lead would grow to eight at 31-23.  But the Bethel team would pull out of its funk and get things tightened up again down 31-27 by the end of the third period.  The St. Kate's team would at least maintain this small lead for a good chunk of the fourth period and with 4:10 left, they were still up 41-38.  But the Bethel team would get this one leveled at 41 two minutes later with 2:10 left and with :44 left, they would finally poke their nose out in front by a 46-44 count.  The St. Kate's team would get this one tied up at 46 with :10 left but on the Bethel team's ensuing possession, a foul would be called on the St. Kate's team and the Bethel team would get one free throw to go down to make it 47-46.  Still one last chance for the St. Kate's team but the desperation heave-ho fell short allowing the Bethel team to escape with a close win........No such drama over on Court 3 that saw the Wash-Ups team taking on the Guards Of The Galaxy team in a match-up of mixed/Alumni teams.  This game would be tied at six a piece by the midway point of the second period but the Wash-Ups team would forge ahead as a "3" by Caitlyn Peterson (St Cloud St '21); the former Lakeville North standout put them up 9-6 and the Wash-Ups team would hold an 18-12 advantage by the end of the first period.  The Guards Of The Galaxy team would attempt to draw closer once the second period got going and would close back to within a single possession down 20-18 but the Wash-Ups would get more breathing room shortly thereafter as a pretty turnaround jumper by former UST standout Madi Radtke made it a 22-18 ballgame.  Still, the Guards Of The Galaxy team would come right back and snare the lead away at 23-22 and by the halftime break, the Guards Of The Galaxy team was holding a 37-35 advantage.  The Wash-Ups team would get this one leveled at 37 early on in the third period but things were still looking hopeful for the Guards Of The Galaxy team when they took a 42-40 lead thanks to two free throws by Marisa Gustafson (GAC '21) at the 6:10 mark.  It was here, however, where things started going south for the Guards Of The Galaxy team as the Wash-Ups team embarked on big 19-3 run down the stretch of the third period to hold a 59-45 advantage.  The Guards Of The Galaxy team was unable to recover from this onslaught as the Wash-Ups team continued on with their run; holding a sizable 74-52 advantage with 3:10 left in the third period and putting it in cruise control the rest of the way for the big win.

Don't forget - action on both Tuesday and Wednesday nights again this coming week at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League!